How many bikes did you buy before you got the right fit?

[Slothful Topsy]

I'm relatively new to cycling--2 1/2 years. It has taken me 5 bikes to get the one that fits.
First...Scott Contessa Sport 52cm--Really cute and fast, but too small.

Second...Jamis Coda Comp 54cm--works as an all around beat about Houston bike.

Third...Bianchi Avenue--Too heavy, too slow, no fun...thought it would work as quick errands bike, but frustrating to go so slow.

Fourth...Jamis Xenith Comp 54cm--too big--reach too long among a host of other problems, too light (lots of lateral movement in slightest wind... scary for me to ride down hills because it feels like I'll be blown off). Really a fast bike though, and if it fit I'd try to become accustomed to the scary movement. I should have ridden it longer and in tougher conditions. Also, given that I always moved back on the saddle on the Scott--sort of hanging off the back, I thought that sliding forward on this Jamis was better...NOT!

Fifth..Cannondale Synapse Carbon 5 T--Practically perfect in every way! 50cm--great fit, no pain anywhere and I can now actually sit on my saddle without sliding forward or pushing all the way to the back! I didn't know that folk could actually sit still on their bikes! No blowing in the wind. Now, I love going up and down hills--before my Synapse I only wanted to climb not descend.

With each purchase the different shops were as helpful as they could be given my limited experience in articulating exactly what I wanted and how the bikes that I already had made feel. Still, I wish that I could have found the Cannondale first. I do ride the Jamis Coda Comp a lot. It's great for commuting and somehow it fits in a 54cm, while the Xenith in the same size doesn't. The other three bikes have become wall art for my garage.

[mimitabby]

It took me 2 bikes, but after the first I went custom.

[F8th637]

Slothful, why not sell some of your other bikes that are just decorating your wall?

I think I'm really lucky in that my first new road bike purchase is the one that fits. I had bought a hybrid less than a year earlier that was too small and I bought an old used road bike that is the right size shortly thereafter that helped me get use to riding a road bike.

[Geonz]

welp, the Schwinn 5-speed my mom got me for CHristmas when I thought I might ride around prob'ly shouldn't count... but it did make me realize I *was* riding enough to justify a "real" bicycle.

Lots of luck as well as good guidance, and a bike shop willing to stick a Bianchi stem into a Giant bike 'cause they'd sold the Bianchi I'd ridden and liked better, and knew what made the geometry different, and even tho' it was an entry level hybrid they listened and fiddled. (I wonder if they knew how much I'd ride it - that puppy's goin' on prob'ly 20,000 miles.)
The Trek FX is almost as good... but the whole aluminum factor means it's just less comfy than steel after the third day doing 50 miles or more.

[Slothful Topsy]

I've thought about selling them but I'm not really sure where to start. Also, to some extent, they work as kooky examples of my folly. In addition they insure that I ride the Jamis and the Cannondale at every opportunity so that I feel like the 'journey' was worth my financial investment!

[RoadRaven]

Only one... the frame was a fraction big, so the next bike we bought a size smaller, and thats been great.
Had to work with seat post/stem heights, as well as saddle poistion and crank length to get them perfect for me... but thats not too bad
:)

[Trek420]

Not counting bikes I had as a kid .... One.

I still have it 20 some odd years later. Than another and .... right now I have 3 bikes not counting the one a bike thief got from me :mad: all fit wonderfully.

I <3 my LBS. :D

[Kathi]

4 road bikes and 2 mtn bikes,

I started riding in 1980. My first road bike was a mixte frame, I was too small for a regular frame. Mixte's were considered women's frames but the design was based on men's sizes so it was still too big. Bike fit wasn't well known in those days so I rode the bike for 15 years and suffered but didn't understand why.

In 1995 Cannondale came out with a frame they called the compact frame. 650c wheels, 75 degree angle seattube and 165 mm crankarm. I thought I was in heaven. I had bought a 48 cm Cannondale the year before and it felt better than the mixte but not as good as the compact.

By Y2K I was doing bike tours and found the Cannondale aluminum to stiff for my lightweight. I made modifications, carbon fork, etc but still felt every crack in the road. I went carbon fiber with my Aegis Swift. It was a good fit but not perfect. In 2005 I decided to get a custom frame.

My custom frame is a Serotta Ottrott. It's a perfect fit, handles well and is a joy to ride.

I went through the same process with mtn bikes but not so many as mtn bikes seemed to fit better than road bikes did. My current mtn bike is a Titus bought in 2003. It fit so well that it started my search for a perfect fitting road bike.

In today's world no woman needs to go through the "hit and miss" process that I did. Bike fitting is becoming the norm rather than the exception. I learned alot about what works for me but I also spent a lot of money to get it right.

[KatyLady]

Hopefully the answer will be two for me. My first (current) road bike is too big. After shopping and shopping, and test riding and test riding, I gave up and ordered a custom frame. Hope to have it soon.

I looked at the Synapse at BikeSport here in Houston. It seemed like a great bike but they didn't have very many sizes available when I was looking last fall. Glad to hear it is working so well for you. Sorry to hear you had to do more than your share of supporting the economy before finding it.

[GLC1968]

So far, 3.

My first was too big and I didn't know any better. My second was better, but not quite right. Size-wise, it was the right choice, but the geometry was just wrong for my body. My third, which is the one I have now, is as perfect as it's going to get unless I go custom. I actually love this bike, so I'm not in the market for a new one, but perhaps someday I'll be able to spare the cash to go full custom.

[atombessy]

really just two, I got my first road and mountain bikes through some kinda deal, mt bike was an end of season sale and the road bike was an ebay purchase. I rode the mt bike for....5 years? and road for about 4 before upgrading, and the second bikes are both better fits. I really didn't have the money to buy a new bike from a shop until then, getting the new bikes was really a financial decision. But going to a shop and test riding really made the different for me, no big struggle. For my road bike I started with a Specialized Allez Sport, it was a TOUCH big for me and started to bother me when I'd worked up to 20mile+ rides, and it was replaced with a Jamis Quest, which so far seems a perfect fit, although I think I've only got about 500 miles on her. Original mountain bike was a Schwinn Moab, I actually thought it fit fine until I got my Santa Cruz Julianna, which I do MUCH better with, although Schwinn has been outfitted with smooth tires and is my current commuter/city bike.

[Trigress]

I think I've been really lucky, but I'm quite happy with the one I have now, and he's my first bike. I just sent a dozen of numbers (they made me measure the weirdest things...) to the factory in Italy, and then he arrived in the mail. I'm really pleased, I think the cockpit fits really well.

[Running Mommy]

TTOOOOO MMANNNYYYY!!!!! :cool:

That's why I encourage my customers to make their selections carefully.
Many times I've told budding triathletes to race on what they have for now and save for a real good bike, rather than buy cheap and regret it.

[Meg McKilty]

Heh. One.

Go Serotta fittings.

[Slothful Topsy]

Thanks a lot for all of your feedback. I wish that I had considered a custom bike, but as I noted, I didn't realize that my bikes didn't fit until I tried different ones. When I consider it, I think that each bike had some aspect that I liked so I ignored the fit issues. The Jamis Xenith Comp is the bike that I have ridden the least because frankly, I found it scary to ride. I've put about 80 miles in 7 days on the Synapse and so far I love it--a fast stable ride. I'm really excited about this bike!